The Ramblings Of A Love-Starved Lesbian

Bras by Julia Havemann Review

Bras is a short film released about a week ago (as of writing this, July 31st) by Julia Havemann that I stumbled upon on YouTube through the magic of the algorithms. It’s about three tween-aged girls going into a Victoria’s Secret to get a bra as only then, along with getting your period, will they be seen as mature women. It’s a dramatic take on such a silly concept that could only be conjured by the adolescent 12-year-old. And it’s fun about it! The film takes place in 2007 and there were parts that were filmed with a literal cam corder with a montage sequence that showcased pictures that looked like they were taken on a disposable that you’d get in a pack of three at Walmart. Also opening up the short with ‘A Milli’ by Lil Wayne was an instant tone setter.

The short has some sweet tender moments of the girls bonding as well as them being silly and having fun. It’s rare that you get to see tween girls being authentically awkward and that being celebrated rather than ridiculed. It’s also surprisingly relatable. I didn’t grow up as a cis girl, but I find the concept of wanting to feel older when you’re young so familiar. It didn’t necessarily mean that I wanted to wear a bra (that came later 🏳️‍⚧️), but it meant that I’d be able to have more access to things like PG-13 movies, a bedtime past 8, and deodorant. I remember feeling so excited as an eight-year-old walking into a theater to see Transformers (2007) as a family when I was no where near thirteen (this was especially apparent for my sister who is four years younger than me). The idea of Wanting To Be Older is such a universal feeling many can understand (trying to find that “One Weird Trick” to achieving “maturity”, so to speak).

It’s really funny looking back, especially before social media’s boom, at how as kids we would just believe things that were really just stretched truths and societal expectations. It’s like the same kind of concept of the Kids Next Door believing that adults were the enemy because they force kids to brush their teeth and do their homework. It’s like innocent and trivial but so dramatic and Very Important at that age.

Anyway, this short is fun and a quick little watch. Check it out here if you’re interested !

It was another nonfiction book but it wasn’t a narrative like My Brother My Land. I read Sexed Up by Julia Surano. It’s a social science book about how we sexualize people in society and the stigma that comes with being sexualized. This book covered on a lot of concepts I was already familiar with from my own research and personal experience, but it was nonetheless still really informative. It touches on how sexualization affects several marginalized groups, who tends to be sexualized the most. She also provides her own solutions to how we can undo these stigmas surrounding sex and work towards a more positive outlook on the conversation. It’s pretty introductory in its presentation and especially good to share with a parent or to read for school as Julia presents her ideas in clear, repeated, themes and patterns that she address.

The next book I'm reading is one I'm really looking forward to. I found it at this giant library while in Vancouver, B.C. It's called The Witchery and it features a predominant black cast and it's soooo giving The Craft. I read that this book is a great fall read but honestly I can't wait. It'll be nice to get back into YA fantasy after reading some rather dense books back to back. I actually did mean to start it today, but I went to my friends' wedding reception and once I got back I played so much Elden Ring. But I'll definitely get to it tomorrow!

It's a very scary game (๑´╹‸╹`๑) but I will be brave today and explore the Minor Erdtree Catacombs

Her auburn braids glowed in the the sunlight. Her smile was just as radiant. Her laugh infectious. We interlocked hands laying on our backs staring at the clouds, trying to figure out what each shape looked like.

"I think that one looks like a duck," I say to her. She erupts into snickers trying to usher out a rebuttal to what I said.

"okay, I definitely think you're on something right now." she managed to say in between continuous laughter. "That's definitely not a duck!" Confused, I couldn't help but laugh back. I didn't know what was so funny to her. I couldn't be bothered, though. Well, almost. It definitely looked like a duck to me. But I kept it to myself.

The field of flowers surrounding us seemed to stretch for miles. A myriad of colors speckles on the verdant plain like pastel markings on a canvas. The gentle breeze made the meadow come alive with a soothing, almost hypnotic, sway in the wind.

Everything was perfect. We didn't have a care in the world.